First, let’s tackle the biggest myth: Greta Thunberg is not a paid activist. She doesn’t have a salary from a big NGO. She’s not cashing cheques from the United Nations. Imagine if a 17-year-old with a sign and a bike started a global movement, and then you asked for her W-2 form. That’s basically the energy here.
She’s famously turned down large sums. There was that time a book publisher offered her a big advance for her climate change book, The Climate Book. Most authors would be booking a first-class flight to the Bahamas. Greta? She donated the entire advance—every cent—to charity. I can barely donate a half-eaten bag of chips without feeling like a saint.
Where the Actual Money Comes From (It’s Boring, in a Good Way)
So if she’s not taking a salary that pays for her rent (or her parents’ mortgage), what does she live on? The answer is: her parents, mostly. Greta is still a young adult. For a long time, she lived with her family. Her dad, Svante, and her mom, Malena (who is an opera singer), handled the basics.
Think of it this way: Greta is the kid who moved back home after college to save money, except she’s saving the planet instead of saving for a house. When she travels, which is a lot—sailing across the Atlantic in a zero-emission boat—those trips are often sponsored by businesses or funded by grants. It’s like when you get a free ride from a friend because you planned the road trip, except the road trip is to the UN Climate Summit.
One of her sneakiest funding sources? Prizes and awards. Greta has won so many trophies, she could open a museum of “Being Right About the Ice Caps.” In 2019, she won the prestigious Swedish climate prize, which came with a check for 1 million Swedish kronor. That’s about $100,000.
